X Marks the Spot

      Tony Abbott
     X Marks the Spot

When Devin and Frankie get stuck in a swashbuckling novel, can they defeat the evil pirates and find the treasure before they're stuck on an island forever?Once again, best friends Devin and Frankie have neglected to do their English assignment. This week, the class is reading Treasure Island, and the two friends promise their teacher that they'll be ready to give their book reports the next day. Of course, this can only mean one thing: it's time for a trip to the library, where the magic security gates have the power to catapult Devin and Frankie into the pages of a book! When they land inside Treasure Island, the two friends are in for a surprise. It turns out a pirate has died and left them with his map to hidden treasure!Alongside memorable characters like Long John Silver and the brave young Jim Hawkins, Devin and Frankie are on a mission to locate the mysterious lost treasure of the dreaded pirate, Captain Flint. But Frankie and Devin's...

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    Seven Ways to Die

      William Diehl
     Seven Ways to Die

From the New York Times bestselling author of PRIMAL FEAR and SHARKY'S MACHINE -- From the Nez Perce Indian reservation in Idaho to New York’s Central Park is a straight line right through Bill Diehl’s last and most intriguing lead character, Micah Cody. There are seven basic ways to die. In 1969 Dr. John C. Cavanaugh catalogued them all in his Primer of Forensic Pathology-Cast Studies for the Novice M.E. Micah Cody is a 30-something NYPD captain of homicide, who’s founded a special unit known as TAZ with city-wide license to take over any investigation at all, with special focus on serial killers. Now its ultimate challenge is on the loose in Manhattan, with three victims already whose causes of death seem like intentional defiance of TAZ’s existence—and four to go in four deadly days leading up to Halloween. Chronicling it all with great amusement is the Capote-like award-winning crime writer Ward Hamilton who, egged on by his sexually voracious socialite bedmate, is determined to bring TAZ to its knees journalistically. Captain Micah Cody's Nez Perce name is “Youngest Wolf” from his ability to communicate with the animals and read nature's signs. As all hell is breaking loose in Manhattan, the wolves in Central Park howl, the peregrine falcons shriek their warnings—and Micah is listening. Seven Ways to Die is a non-stop, sexy read with Diehl doing to the end what he did best throughout his bestselling career. ### About the Author The late William Diehl is the author of numerous fast-paced New York Times bestsellers, including two, Primal Fear and Sharky’s Machine that were made into major motion pictures. Prior to his death in 2006, Diehl had written over 400 pages of manuscript for Seven Ways to Die, and left behind a working outline, notes and chapter drafts. Ken Atchity worked personally with Bill’s widow, Virginia Gunn Diehl, along with his screenwriting partner Michael A. Simpson, to bring this novel to completion. William Diehl was an extraordinarily gifted storyteller who enjoyed an unbroken string of bestselling novels including 27 aka The Hunt, Thai Horse, Hooligans, Chameleon, Show of Evil, Primal Fear (Richard Gere and Edward Norton) and Sharkey's Machine. Seven Ways to Die is more than a worthy final addition to the Diehl canon. For twenty years he lived on Georgia's St. Simons Island with his wife Virginia Gunn, a former Atlanta TV reporter. Diehl, who began writing novels at the age of 50, was strongly influenced by his experiences as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 in World War II--for which he earned a Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and Air Medal.He met Martin Luther King and took part in the Civil Right movement. He became a staff reporter at The Atlanta Constitution, then the first managing editor of Atlanta magazine. Kenneth Atchity, author of fifteen previous books, is a prolific producer of motion pictures for television and theater, as well as former professor of comparative literature and Fulbright professor of American studies. Atchity, author of fifteen books, has been an editor and manager of bestselling authors for twenty-five years, and responsible for twenty bestselling novels.

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    Spirits and Spells

      Bruce Coville
     Spirits and Spells

Create your character and roll the dice—it's all just a game . . . or is it? Why can't Tansy's boyfriend, Travis, be into something normal—like football? Instead, he likes complicated games with magical characters and fantastic setups. In fact, Travis just discovered a new one called Spirits and Spells, which he's sure will be a huge hit. To try it out, Tansy, Travis, and four of their friends gather one night in an abandoned mansion—the perfect setting for their spooky quest. All six accept their characters' roles and special abilities and set off to find four objects of power that Travis has hidden nearby. But as they move deeper into the house, the players encounter obstacles that definitely weren't supposed to be there, and the dangers start to seem all too real. Before morning, each of them will be forced to call on their new powers as they struggle to keep their magical identities from taking over and getting what...

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    The Day the Falls Stood Still

      Cathy Marie Buchanan
     The Day the Falls Stood Still

“A wonderful love story . . . Buchanan weaves Niagara Falls’ history and her storytelling together masterfully.”—*Elle *Niagara Falls. The dawn of the hydroelectric power era. Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath, who has led a sheltered existence as the younger daughter of the director of the Niagara Power Company, meets Tom Cole by chance on a trolley platform and finds herself inexplicably drawn to him—against her family’s strong objections. Tom is not from their world. Rough-hewn and fearless, he lives off what the river provides and has an uncanny ability to predict the whims of the falls. His daring river rescues render him a local hero and cast him as a threat to the power companies who seek to harness the power of the falls for themselves. As the paths of Bess and Tom become entwined, Bess must make a painful choice between what she wants and what is best for her family and her future.From Publishers WeeklySet against the backdrop of WWI and Niagara Falls, this debut tells the story of young Bess Heath and her struggle to navigate a quickly modernizing world. A child of privilege, Bess sees her fortunes change when her father loses his job. Cast into poverty, her family disgraced, Bess tries to hold things together while her sister slips into depression, her father drinks and her mother withdraws. After another tragedy strikes, Bess finds comfort in the love of Tom Cole, a river man with a mysterious connection to the falls. Overcoming the deep privation of the war and their own limited means, the two begin building a life together and renew their commitment to each other and their family. Based loosely on the history of Niagara river man William Red Hill, the book incorporates mock newspaper articles with limited success, but does integrate some detailed depictions of domestic life and fascinating natural history into an otherwise uneventful romance. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"As much a love story between author and river as between star-crossed central characters." ---USA Today

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    The Reluctant Hero

      Michael Dobbs
     The Reluctant Hero

When at last Zac became aware, he found himself in a place that had been stripped of every shred of colour. Some pain was like that, so intense, so personal, that it tore away all subtlety from the world and left nothing but obliterating darkness and flashes of blinding, impenetrable light . . . The pain they had inflicted had been, literally, unimaginable. The sort of pain that makes a man do anything, say anything,to make it stop. Zac Kravitz has upset someone. Someone very important. He has been tortured and cast, barely alive, into an ancient prison deep in the republic of Taargistan. Bordering Russia, China and Afghanistan and ringed by high mountains, the country is a land of deep snows and still deeper suspicions, and its about to swallow Zac, to drag him from his cell and execute him. But he has a friend. Harry Jones is a former soldier, now a politician, a man of extraordinary skills and an enduring sense of guilt. He owes Zac. The debt must be repaid, no matter what the cost. Harry is forced to team up with a tough-talking American-born MP, Martha Riley.She doesnt much like Harry, the feeling is mutual, yet Harry needs her, more than he could ever realize. Theirs is a journey that takes them not only to Taargistan but also into their fractured pasts, where they must confront old obsessions. Theirs is a story of honour and love that will push them to the limits of their endurance, and then beyond. To have any chance of success, Harry must once again become the man he thought he had left behind many years ago a desperate, utterly ruthless fighter, ready to eliminate anyone who gets in his way. It will take him to a place of immense and almost unendurable suffering, where dying becomes the easy option.Yet Harry Jones is not a man who has ever taken the easy option. He doesnt know when to stop fighting, even when hes standing on a trapdoor with an executioners noose around his neck.

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    My Life as a Doormat (in Three Acts)

      Rene Gutteridge
     My Life as a Doormat (in Three Acts)

Act I: Avoid conflict at all costs. Even when someone signs you up for something you really don't want to do. Act II: Try to hold things together, even when your life is spinning out of control. Act III: (You'll have to read the book to learn how it all plays out.)Playwright Leah Townsend doesn't think of herself as a doormat. In fact, her life is pretty good. There's the gorgeous and dependable Edward (even if he is a little dull), and her challenging career (even if the last two plays were flops). The trouble is, Leah's feeling restless these days. The new play isn't going well. Her agent is handing out ultimatums. And her boyfriend Edward, who insists Leah "doesn't handle conflict well," has the nerve to enroll her in a conflict–management class full of people she's sure are her polar opposites, including a conservative talk–radio host named Cinco Dublin who thrives on the very thing Leah wants to avoid––making waves. Can a conflict–challenged playwright ever learn to...

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    A Priceless Find

      Kate James
     A Priceless Find

Who says opposites can't find love? A robbery followed by the discovery of a forgery at a respected art gallery thrusts Chelsea Owens into the center of an investigation headed by Detective Sam Eldridge. The instant chemistry between the high-spirited aspiring curator and the tall, dark, brooding cop is a classic case of opposites attract. Complications arise when Chelsea uncovers a connection to an unsolved art heist. Teaming up with Sam to find the stolen paintings ignites feelings that could lead to lasting love. But Sam isn't ready to move beyond the tragedy in his past, no matter how promising his future with Chelsea could be...

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    The Minnow

      Diana Sweeney
     The Minnow

Winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing, 2013.Tom survived a devastating flood that claimed the lives of her sister and parents. Now she lives with Bill in his old shed by the lake. But it's time to move out. Tom is pregnant with Bill's baby.Jonah lets her move in with him. Mrs Peck gives her the Fishmaster Super Series tackle box. Nana is full of gentle good advice and useful sayings.And in her longing for what is lost, Tom talks to fish: Oscar the carp in the pet shop, little Sarah catfish who might be her sister, an unhelpful turtle in a tank at the maternity ward. And the minnow.The Minnow is a moving and powerful coming-of-age story with a whimsical element that belies the heartbreaking truth of grief and loss. Tom is a character you will never forget.Diana Sweeney is a university lecturer and fashion model. She was born in Auckland, and moved to Sydney at the age of twelve. She now lives in...

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    The Maid

      Yasutaka Tsutsui
     The Maid

Nanase cannot remember when she first realized she could read people's minds, but not once during her eighteen years has she ever questioned her particularly unusual ability. Yet, working as a live-in maid, she is inevitably drawn into the lives, thoughts and desires of her employers, with dangerous and at times hilarious consequences. From the sexual rapaciousness of her first boss to the grime and stench of the house where she works next and her third employer's inability to accept she's no longer young, Nanase's adventures are a picaresque journey into the inner sanctum of the lives and psyches of ordinary Japanese people.

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    Nothing but Trouble

      Jacqueline Davies
     Nothing but Trouble

From the acclaimed author of The Lemonade War comes a new series starring two smart girls determined to liven up their town—one epic prank at a time.Odawahaka has always been too small for Maggie's big scientific ideas. Between her stuck-in-a-rut mom, her grumpy grandpop, and the lifetime supply of sludgy soda in the fridge, it's hard for Maggie to imagine a change. But when Lena moves in with her creative spirit and outrageous perspective, middle school takes off with a bang. Someone starts pulling the kind of pranks that send their rule-loving new principal into an uproar—complete with purple puffs of smoke, parachuting mice, and a scavenger hunt that leads to secret passageways. Suddenly the same-old football games, election for class president, and embarrassing stories feel almost exciting. And for the first time in her life, Maggie begins to wonder if there might be more to Odawahaka than she ever saw...

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    Warrior: riposte

      Michael A. Stackpole
     Warrior: riposte

Product DescriptionAfter being safely rescued in Warrior: En Garde, the heir apparent of the Lyran Commonwealth can now wed the prince of the Federated Suns, which would seal the most powerful alliance in the Inner Sphere and bring peace to a galaxy ravaged by hundreds of years of interstellar war. But the Warlords of the Inner Sphere are unwilling to accept peace...

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